The following are some photos of my dismantled Rover V8. The engine was a 1974 issue running a 10.5 : 1 compression ratio. Total mileage covered was 203,000. (327,000km). The engine was removed from my P6B during 2007 to make way for a 4.6 litre.
As the compression was too high for the quality of fuel and the distributor timing curve to adequately cope, initial timing had to be set to TDC at 600rpm, but the engine would still ping if pushed hard and especially if coolant temperature was much above 82 degrees. An 82 degree thermostat was used until 1990 or so, then a 78 and in 1995 or so a 74 was fitted.
Engine oil was initially Catrol GTX and then GTX2 up until 1989 at which point Pennzoil GT Performance (later called Street Machine) was used. In all cases the oil was a 20W-50 specification. Oil was changed typically every 2500 miles (4000km) or less, oil filter every second change..ie 5000 miles (8000km) or less. Oil pressure for a long time would sit at 45psi for 3000rpm, but towards the end it had dropped to 35psi for the same rpm.
Air filters were Land Rover paper element up until 1987 at which point foam Unifilters were fitted. Foam filters were used until the end in 2007.
When stripped, the bores were smooth and free of abrasive wear. There were scuff marks on the piston skirts. The camshaft lobes were worn with some quite heavily...down by 3mm compared to others. Camshaft bearings had lost all their lining and the camshaft was running on the steel backing. Main and big end bearings displayed considerable copper across the full width of the shells.
The oil pump front cover showed little wear as did the oil pump gears. The timing cover which housed the gears was very smooth will no sign of abrasive wear. The skew gears looked almost new with little wear to be seen.
The original timing set consisted of a morse type chain and a nylon toothed aluminium alloy timing wheel. The nylon teeth bar two had all broken off and chain was very loose.
The main bearing caps did come loose during the late 1980s and the sump had to be dropped so as to tighten the offenders. There was also evidence of fretting between the main bearing caps and the block registers. The early Rover V8 engines up until circa 1977 had the weakest bottom end as far as crankshaft retention via the caps was concerned.
The spark plugs at no time were ever oily, certainly nothing wet and black nor were the insulators ever oily.
The engine breather which vents the lifter gallery never showed any oil contamination nor did oil ever exit via the dip stick tube.
The front oil seal which was of the rope type never leaked nor did oil under pressure ever exit via any other seal.
The engine used on average 500ml of engine oil per 1000 miles which is typical for a Rover V8 without valve stem oil seals. This consumption figure remained with little variation during the 33 years in which it ran.
Now...does the wear appear excessive for the distance covered? Do the pistons appear in a way that is to be expected or does the wear and discolouration indicate more rather than less blow-by?
I used the foam air filters for essentially 20 years for a distance of 140,000 miles so does the wear indicate that dust has been injested?
Harvey,...I would really appreciate your views on what you see.
Ron.
As the compression was too high for the quality of fuel and the distributor timing curve to adequately cope, initial timing had to be set to TDC at 600rpm, but the engine would still ping if pushed hard and especially if coolant temperature was much above 82 degrees. An 82 degree thermostat was used until 1990 or so, then a 78 and in 1995 or so a 74 was fitted.
Engine oil was initially Catrol GTX and then GTX2 up until 1989 at which point Pennzoil GT Performance (later called Street Machine) was used. In all cases the oil was a 20W-50 specification. Oil was changed typically every 2500 miles (4000km) or less, oil filter every second change..ie 5000 miles (8000km) or less. Oil pressure for a long time would sit at 45psi for 3000rpm, but towards the end it had dropped to 35psi for the same rpm.
Air filters were Land Rover paper element up until 1987 at which point foam Unifilters were fitted. Foam filters were used until the end in 2007.
When stripped, the bores were smooth and free of abrasive wear. There were scuff marks on the piston skirts. The camshaft lobes were worn with some quite heavily...down by 3mm compared to others. Camshaft bearings had lost all their lining and the camshaft was running on the steel backing. Main and big end bearings displayed considerable copper across the full width of the shells.
The oil pump front cover showed little wear as did the oil pump gears. The timing cover which housed the gears was very smooth will no sign of abrasive wear. The skew gears looked almost new with little wear to be seen.
The original timing set consisted of a morse type chain and a nylon toothed aluminium alloy timing wheel. The nylon teeth bar two had all broken off and chain was very loose.
The main bearing caps did come loose during the late 1980s and the sump had to be dropped so as to tighten the offenders. There was also evidence of fretting between the main bearing caps and the block registers. The early Rover V8 engines up until circa 1977 had the weakest bottom end as far as crankshaft retention via the caps was concerned.
The spark plugs at no time were ever oily, certainly nothing wet and black nor were the insulators ever oily.
The engine breather which vents the lifter gallery never showed any oil contamination nor did oil ever exit via the dip stick tube.
The front oil seal which was of the rope type never leaked nor did oil under pressure ever exit via any other seal.
The engine used on average 500ml of engine oil per 1000 miles which is typical for a Rover V8 without valve stem oil seals. This consumption figure remained with little variation during the 33 years in which it ran.
Now...does the wear appear excessive for the distance covered? Do the pistons appear in a way that is to be expected or does the wear and discolouration indicate more rather than less blow-by?
I used the foam air filters for essentially 20 years for a distance of 140,000 miles so does the wear indicate that dust has been injested?
Harvey,...I would really appreciate your views on what you see.
Ron.
Indeed in some cheapy jobs all I have done is replace the bearing metal and rings coupled with a deridge it's got to be good for another 100,000 Kms